NEWS: Apple Says No To Google Voice

"Apple App Rejections Alienate Business Users"

iToy needs no steen-king business users... just retail fanbois.

Apple?s move to strip third-party Google Voice iPhone apps from the AppStore drew the ire of iPhone users everywhere. To make matters worse, Apple?s secretive ways have shrouded mystery over why Google Voice apps like GV Mobile were recently pulled from the AppStore. Did AT&T ask Apple to ban Google Voice apps in order to prevent iPhone customers from making cheap phone calls and sending discount text messages? Did Google request the iPhone apps? removal in an attempt to push their own Google Voice iPhone app? Fortunately, the federal government is just as curious as we are. The Federal Communications Commission has launched an official inquiry into why Apple gave Google Voice the boot.

The FCC has sent out letters to Apple, AT&T and Google, asking each company to explain their involvement in the decision to remove the Google Voice apps. The FCC?s mission to "to foster a competitive wireless marketplace, protect and empower consumers, and promote innovation and investment" puts it in a unique position of power to find out whether or not Apple, AT&T or Google colluded to squash competition in the wireless market.

In their letter to Apple, the FCC asks why the company did what it did. The FCC also wants to know if AT&T had anything to do with their decision. And, if so, to what extent did AT&T influence Apple?s decision. The feds are also asking what kind of obligations Apple has to AT&T when it comes to approving apps for the iPhone AppStore.

The letter to AT&T likewise asks whether or not the wireless carrier is involved in AppStore approvals. More specifically, the FCC would like to know if Apple is contractually obligated to bow to AT&T?s will when it comes to the iPhone. The FCC is also requesting copies of all communications between Apple, AT&T and Google.

Google got off the easiest. The FCC wants to know if Apple gave Google a reason as to why the Google Voice app was rejected, and if there are any other iPhone apps coming from Google.

The important thing to note here is that the FCC is launching an official inquiry into why Apple suddenly took a disliking to Google Voice apps. The matter will open to the public, so official company comments on the matter will be made available for everyone to see. We?ll keep a close eye on this one.

Links to letters at:

John Navas wrote in news: snipped-for-privacy@4ax.com:

Well, let's see how they end having to redefine their use of the words, "open platform."

Can't find the cite but there was a post to the effect that the FCC has made inquires of both Apple and ATT with notice to others regarding that vary issue. Seems there is some anti-trust interest as well.

On Sat, 1 Aug 2009 17:43:55 -0500, "NotMe" wrote in :

See my thread "NEWS: FCC launches investigation into Apple?s banishment of Google Voice iPhone app"

"NotMe" wrote in news:h52gf7$e4q$ snipped-for-privacy@news.eternal-september.org:

Just making a noise. The FCC works for the sellphone companies, which is why you have such stellar sellular service across America, today!

Larry wrote in news:Xns9C5B67EB76FAnoonehomecom@74.209.131.13:

Yes you are.

The FCC works for the sellphone companies, which

I do have stellar service. With the exception of two instances in the last ten years (both of which involved locations with practically no population base), I have enjoyed the ability to place and receive calls and use other contracted services at will from coast to coast. My landline has given me more problems than my cell phone.

John Blutarsky wrote in news:Xns9C5AE977FA0F4blutofabercom@188.40.43.213:

Wow! I guess all the rest have bad iphones.....

On Sun, 02 Aug 2009 04:38:18 +0000, Larry wrote in :

Not true, in this administration at least, as this latest action makes clear.

I do enjoy stellar mobile service, today, just as I have for quite a few years, so good I long ago cut my landline.

Larry wrote in news:Xns9C5B68144843Fnoonehomecom@

74.209.131.13:

I don't have an iPhone- never said I did. I was responding to your stupid ranting that service is less than stellar in the US. Nothing could be further from the truth.

Lar, do I hear the ladies of the Waffle House calling you? Sure the FCC is private. Been that way since you started modifying those SSB CBs back in the

70's, right? Shooting skip was never so much fun until they broke up your party? Those Bastards!

It sure as hell sucks out here on the Chesapeake.

For those keeping score at home:

1. Apple invented the iPhone and the iStore.
2. Google invented Google Voice.
3. AT&T built the infrastructure.
4. The FCC did none of these things, yet they think they have the power to control the other three.

Fuck the government.

: >>>[SNIP] : >

: >>Can't find the cite but there was a post to the effect that the FCC has : >>made inquires of both Apple and ATT with notice to others regarding : >>that vary issue. Seems there is some anti-trust interest as well. : >

: > See my thread : > "NEWS: FCC launches investigation into Apple?s banishment of Google : > Voice iPhone app" : : For those keeping score at home: : : 1. Apple invented the iPhone and the iStore. : : 2. Google invented Google Voice. : : 3. AT&T built the infrastructure. : : 4. The FCC did none of these things, yet they think they have : the power to control the other three. : : Fuck the government.

The United States Federal Communications Commission, created by an act of Congress on 19 June 1934, merged the administrative responsibilities for regulating broadcasting and wired communications under the rubric of one agency.

If you think screwing with Mother Nature can be a problem ... you're in for a rude awakening.

If the iPhone is the answer, it must be a very funny question.

Serious, why would anyone expect Apple to act differently? Remember, Steve knows best. Now just drink your Kool Aid and shut up!

What's odd is that the lack of a dedicated Google Voice app doesn't stop anyone from using Google Voice on the iPhone to make less expensive international calls. You can still initiate calls via the Google Voice web application, or by calling your Google Voice number from your iPhone. It does make it a little more of a pain because presumably the iPhone Google Voice app was able to use the phone book data on the iPhone, and since the iPhone can't multi-task now there'll be more cutting and pasting of phone numbers. But you can have a contact list in Google Voice when you access it via the web, so this isn't a terrible big deal anyway.

A Google Voice app would cause the usage of more peak minutes on the AT&T network, leading some subscribers to purchase more expensive monthly plans. Do any iPhone users (or any cell phone users on any network) actually place international calls over their carrier's network? This is a very foolish thing to do.

Actually, as it turns out, it wasn't Apple's idea to ban the program, it was AT&T's idea.

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Father Guido Sarducci wrote in news:Xns9C5CC94FB72D8FatherGuido@202.177.16.121:

The FCC has controlled the AIRWAVES as a PUBLIC entity since 1934.

I'd like to think we can keep it that way so the PUBLIC, not the corporations, have CONTROL over our property....licensing it out to controlled users....like me! I'm a licensee, too!

It has served us very well in the past. Notice how your RCA TV could pickup all the NBC COMPETITORS' stations as well as RCA's own NBC network. Without the FCC DICTATING which TV system the country was going to use, NONE of the networks would have had the SAME analog TV system....or the ATSC digital TV system FCC also DICTATED all licensees will use.

You know not what you speak....